I feel that way about it too. My fears are that the remaining places like it will not be protected and that they will not be visited and respected by the new generations that are “tech savvy” but growing out of touch with the natural world.

We haven’t had that first big snowfall here yet either. I love seeing it, but dislike the idea that it inhibits access to the high country. Yesterday I drove on a very icy road in the high country, probably my last visit to that place this year. I’m sure looking forward to a good snow here now!

It tickles me so when you anticipate our responses and answer the basic question first. It does look cold, but it’s also beautiful. I saw there was recent snow in Nebraska, too. I had terrific weather through my whole trip, but seeing some snow would have been a delight.

You were lucky to have good weather for your trip! There have been traffic problems in several places here in western Montana already from icy roads.
Yes, it was cold up there: air temperature in the mid-20’s and at time a stiff wind blowing. A refresher course in the feel of winter! My attire was correct for the conditions though and I enjoyed every minute of it!

Well, we’ve had the heat on for a month now already. I remember when we lived in Queen Creek my favorite day of the year was Halloween, when the temperature turned cooler and I went around the neighborhood trick-or-treating with the kids. We had fireplaces in two of the homes we had there and they got a lot of use, much to my original surprise t seeing fireplaces in that climate. I suppose now their use there now is being curtailed for air quality reasons though.

We have no burn days but we have burn days, too. We don’t have a fireplace but some of our neighbors do so I love to smell that on a cold night. Funny thing is they start using their fireplaces when it goes down to about 80, seems silly. We were lucky this year that most of October was pleasant and we didn’t have to wait for Halloween.

A wood fire at 80 seems silly. In the nearest large town they have banned wood stoves because of air conditions and have no-burn and burn days for the ones that were grandfathered in. The hypocritical thing is that the logging interests are allowed to burn their slash piles most of the winter and the smoke from them is incredibly bad all over western Montana.

Great photos as always … I can see that snow has come to your part of Montana …
I´m longing for the day when i can move in to my own apartment again …
And i miss being without my computer … I can´t follow my favourite blog as i usually do.

That’s one of my favorite trails. It is difficult to get up there when there is much snow because the road to the trail head can’t be driven. I cherish the times when there is snow on the mountain but not so much that I can’t drive the Jeep through it. I would love to be able to walk that trail on snowshoes!